Once Upon A Follower
by electricity.escape
Summary: Once a follower always a follower: Does the saying still hold true? Inspired by New Rules written by carefree34. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

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(AN) This is set at the end of eight grade.

**Disclaimer- I don't own the clique or any brands mentioned.**

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Here's an end of year exam. Lucky for you, I stole the answers.

1) True or False. Kristen broke away from The Pretty Committee, a mere three weeks ago.

A) True

B) False

Answer: A) True

2) Was The Pretty Committee kind enough to start an acquaintanceship between Kori and Strawberry four months ago, January of eight grade?

A) No

B) Yes

Answer: B) Yes

3) True or False. Kristen has made her own group, three weeks ago, and has her own followers. One being Massie's LBR kinda-friends Strawberry and Kori.

A) True

B) False

Answer: A) True

4) Kristen was Massie's follower. But Kristen is the new Alpha in her clique and has her own followers. Once a follower always a follower: Does the saying still hold true?

A) Yes

B) No

Answer: A) Yes

"What about the rest of The Pretty Committee?" You may ask. "Did they break off from Massie to go with Kristen?"

Alicia has dealt with the consequences of being on The Pretty Committee's bad side. _Twice_. Dylan knows what the winning side is. _Hopefully. _Claire is just smart enough to know what side to be on. _The Pretty Committee._

Who will win?

The Group VS. The Followers

_Every clique has end of school drama._

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**(AN) should I go on?**


	2. Done

**(AN) I'm writing backwards from the "test". The "test" was like a gossip related finals test.**

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BOCD

New Green Cafe

Table 18

Tuesday, April 22

12:16 PM

Alicia Rivera, Chris Plovert, Josh Hotz, Derrick Harrington, Claire Lyons, Dylan Marvil, Cam Fisher, Kemp Hurley, and Massie Block sat around the new table 18. In order for all of them to sit together, they merged table 19 with table 18. Together the tables should fit only _ten _people. Merging the Pretty Committe and their exes was Massie's last resort to become the school alpha again after the boys found a way out of the Tiffany boxes. Luckily they all became friends, though no one was dating.

"Here comes Kristen and her followers." Alicia said, which silenced the table 18 chatter. Everyone seated at that table jerked their heads towards Kristen. She was walking towards them, Kori and Strawberry trailing her.

Tensions were obviously starting to rise between The Group, (Alicia, Plovert, Josh, Derrick, Claire, Dylan, Cam, Kemp, and Massie) Kristen, and her followers. The argument was that Kristens' followers (FOK- Followers of Kristen) took up table space to the already crowded table, and should sit at a different table because they would probably never become a part of their clique. To make matters worse they would pull up chairs and sit in the middle seats of the table, stopping chatter from one side to the other, and talked and joked with only Kristen and sometimes Dylan, Massie, and Claire, their somewhat- friends (not everyone of the Table 18 A-List liked them.) But to stop even more drama and stress to the already stress filled end-of-school days, everyone tried to keep their feelings fairly concealed.

"Hey guys!" Kristen said, pulled up a chair for Kori and Strawberry and as predicted, they sat down right in the middle of the table. Small grumbles of distaste were heard.

"Hey." The rest of the group grumbled out, pretending to be cheerful that they were here.

"This table is _so _crowded." Kori said.

"That's because _you're_ here." Cam muttered. Cam was never the one to be mean, so when he said something like that, everyone new things were going to get ugly soon.

"What?" Kori asked.

"Nothing."

"This table _is_ crowded." Kristen added, while looking around.

"_Mhm_." Alicia said, mouth in a thin line, pretending to agree. Though, everyone except Kristen, Kori, and Strawberry, knew her slight vocalization was code for 'then you shouldn't sit here if it's so crowded.'

Kori changed the subject. "OhmyGod, did you see Dorito today?" She asked Strawberry. Dorito was nickname for Keith Bryan, a hot ninth grader, Kori, Strawberry, and sometimes Kristen, borderline _stalked_.

"What was he wearing?" Strawberry asked.

"Navy blue Lacoste polo and a tan cargo shorts. He looked so hawt!"

"OhmyGod! What shoes?"

"Tan Ralph Lauren sandals!" The two girls squealed

The Group rolled their eyes and prepared themselves for a lunch with the followers.

Lunch with The Followers always meant The Group spoke in a hushed manner except for Kristen, Kori, and Strawberry, because according to Massie:

1) A-list inside jokes couldn't be used around FOK, in fear that they would use them like their own.

2) It was hard to talk to people on the other side of the table, when FOK are in the middle.

3) The mood always turned sour when FOK were around.

4) Most members of The Group were either thinking about their hate of FOK, and were plotting to take them down.

5) Members of the Group were thinking about taking the FOK and _Kristen_ down.

"I'm gonna get some fro-yo," Kristen said. And as programmed robots, Kori and Strawberry stood up and followed her. As Kristen walked an A-list lacrosse player eyed her.

"Alicia?" Massie said, eyes still locked on the boy.

"Baxter-" Alicia started

"_Baxter_!"

"Yes, _Baxter_ Johnson. Bad name. Anyways, he plays lacrosse. He's A-List, well A-_minus, _he's sorta-friends with Derrick. But I have no clue why he's A-list because rumor has it that he's gonna be second-string next season. Bad personality- very egotistical and rude. And... he's hideous!" Alicia said looking at him, and grimacing at his, flat, square shaped face, and stringy dirty-blond hair that clung to the shape of his face like Velcro.

"I second that." Massie said.

"Who are you talking about?" Dylan asked. Alicia pointed to Baxter. Dylan heaved. "Not when I'm eating!"

"You're so dramatic!" Claire hissed.

"I wasn't being dramatic. I just learned to never look at him with food in my mouth, it almost made me barf."

"He's not _that _bad, he's kinda cute-ish- " Claire started, The girls stared at her thinking she was crazy. "- if you tilt your head to the side and squint like a blind person."

The Pretty Committee giggled.

"'Whatcha talking about?" Kristen asked as she returned

"About that Baxter guy." Massie's smile faded, as she got squished between Kori and Plovert, when the FOKs sat down.

"Oh, I talk to him sometimes in History class." Kristen said.

"Oh." Dylan said.

"Massie, I need to talk to you for a second." Josh said interrupting the conversation.

"What?" Josh motioned to her that it should be private. Massie walked to his side of the and squatted down to get ear to ear with him.

"Is this seriously starting to piss you off?" Josh asked.

"_Yes_." Massie said, knowing exactly what he was talking about. "I'm about this close to telling them off. Even though Kirsten's our friend and Strawberry and Kori are okay."

"I know she's our friend, so it's hard to say anything."

"But Kristen is really getting on my nerves. Doesn't she realize that she's _invading_ our space that's for Table 18 A-List _only_. Not for her A-minus followers."

"Maybe we should do something." Josh said.

"Maybe we should get The Group-"

"Why did we come up with 'The Group'?"

"I don't know, I was to lazy to think of something original." Massie said

"It's kinda cool though because when you say The Group, you automatically know you're talking about us. Cool simplicity."

"Anyways, 'cause the NYST's **(New York Standardized Tests, I made it up) **are next week, and the teachers aren't giving us any homework in order for us to prepare for it, maybe we should get The Group meet up at my house and discuss this _situation_."

"Sounds good." Kemp's nose butted into the conversation.

"Were you listening to our conversation the whole time?" Massie asked.

"You guys aren't the best whisperers."

"Whatever. I'll text the others." Massie stood up and walked back to her seat. And discreetly started to text the others, making sure Kori, who was sitting next to her, could not see her cell phone screen.

**Massie- meeting my house 2 discuss the Kristen situation. the boys will meet at my house after soccer pract.**

**Plovert- we don't have soccer 2day it's on wednesday**

**Massie- We'll just meet at my house after school then**

**Claire- Wat about Kristen**

**Massie- Wat about her**

**Claire- we had plans to study for the NYST's with her 2day after school**

**Alicia- Just cancel it**

**Massie- Ya**

**Derrick- wouldn't Kristen get suspicious if were all riding in the same car**

**Dylan- we'll take separate cars idiot**

**Derrick- don't have to be so mean**

**Dylan- whatevs**

**Kemp- so it's a plan**

**Josh- Yep.**

**Massie-Done.**

**Alicia- Done.**

**Cam- i never understood this, wat do i say?**

**Dylan- you say 'done', then the last person says 'and done'**

**Plovert- that's stupid y would we say 'done' ten times.**

**Massie- just forget it. Bye.**

**Plovert- way to be rude Massie just suddenly end the convo **

**Derrick- dude everyone's gone**

**Plovert- then y are u here**

**Plovert-...hello**

**Plovert- Just leaving me hanging**

**Plovert...u guys suck**

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**(AN) i know the whole ending to the text convo was unnecessary. But...Plovert is my favorite character. Review if you feel like it, cause i'm not one of those people that hold their stories hostage until they get like 5 reviews. ...Peace Out. School's Out.**


	3. Live For Drama

**Disclaimer- I do not own the the clique.**

Block Estate

Study

Tuesday, April 22

3:17 PM

"So...Now that we're all here, lets start. We've got a situation: Kristen and FOKs-" Massie started.

"They all act like they own the fucking table." Plovert cut in.

"Seriously. They're always talking so loud and obnoxiously, like it's their own table and we don't exist." Alicia added.

"Maybe we're over reacting, it's _only_ a table." Claire said.

"But it's _our _table. We've sat there ever since we started to dominate OCD in sixth grade." Massie said.

"Plus the fact that our table is already over crowded adds to the problem." Cam said.

"Get real Kuh-laire." Alicia said. "How would you like it if some people just came and sat down in the _middle _of the table, blocking conversation flow; People who talk loud and obnoxiously, acting like they own the table, like _they_are the alphas, not us. And the only topic of their conversations is that Dorito guy-"

"Who they practically _stalk_." Josh said.

"True. But they're our friends." Claire said.

"Only you, Dylan, and Mass," Josh said. "They hate the rest of us."

"I heard them talking shit about us in Science today-" Kemp said.

"What? And I had the _nerve_to befriend them! Who do they think they are!" Massie exclaimed.

"Not about _you_, Massie. Just us, excluding Dylan and Claire."

"Oh, what did they say?" Alicia leaned in.

"How we're mean to them and some other stuff." Kemp said.

"We barely talk to them!" Alicia exclaimed.

"...Anyways, any possible solutions for this situation?" Cam asked.

"Take them down." Alicia said.

"How?" Massie asked.

"Massie, we're the _top_ A-List, we can say anything and everyone will agree."

The others nodded.

Massie thought for a moment. "Maybe we're being too hard to them. Let's just not do anything for now, and if things get worst, _then _we'll do something." The others stared at her in shock.

"Did She. I. No. Wait. _Yes_. Mark the time and day, Massie just turned down a revenge plan." Dylan said.

"Like O.M.G, the world is gonna end!" Plovert exclaimed.

"What? We're gonna have even more drama next year as _freshmans_. We should make these last weeks of school as drama-free as possible."

"But I _live_ for drama." Alicia said.

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**(AN) Random Question of the day: Sometimes when you type, do you ever type 'hoe' instead of 'how'? It always cracks me up when I do that. I'm weird, I know. Review if you feel like it. Peace.**


	4. Table For Ten

**Disclaimer- I do not own the clique**

**Shout Outs To:**

lipglossgirlsavestheday: my first reviewer :)

Lilly Green: The first one to realize that FOK was an pun for F--K. :D

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BOCD

Massie's Locker

Wednesday, April 23

8:43 AM

"Holy Shitaroni, Massie! Have you heard?" Alicia said walking towards Massie.

"Heard Wha-"

"Baxter just asked Kristen out"

"And..."

"She. Said. Yes." Alicia replied in a low voice.

"Awww! Shitnasty!" Massie said.

"Shitnasty?"

"Yep, made it up."

"Have you ever noticed that since we've started hanging out with the guys we've made up so many new words and phases? Like Shitnasty and Shitaroni." Alicia questioned, getting side-tracked.

"Must be some type of phycological thing. Anyways, how could she say yes, she doesn't even know him-"

"Remember she said she talks, '_flirts_' with him in history class sometimes?"

"But still, how could she have said yes! I mean first of all, he's a huge jerk, and second of, all he's hideous! I can't look at him for more than two minutes or else my eyes will bleed! How desperate _was _she?"

"You over-exaggerate too much." Claire said, joining their conversation. All three had science class next and would walk together.

"Well, what should we do?" Alicia asked Massie.

"Nothing. Kristen's still our friend, right?" Massie eyes bared into them.

"Of course." Claire said, Alicia nodded. Massie shut her locker, and started walking towards their science class, eyes in a model stare. Claire and Alicia instinctively joined her.

"But if _someone_ still thinks she's sitting at our table at lunch, with _boyfriend_, you know what my new revenge plan phrase is: I'm gonna kill a bitch." Massie said, still walking forward and eyes still in a model stare, not bothering to turn to look at them.

"_Bitches_ actually." Alicia corrected.

"And we know _exactly_ who they are." Claire said.

"Yep. That's the plan. Kill..." Massie started.

"A..." Claire said.

BOCD

New Green Cafe

Wednesday, April 23

12:07 PM

"Bitch!" Alicia exclaimed, as she neared Table 18 seeing that Baxter's crew of four took up the little amount of extra table space. She had nowhere to sit. Unless she sat on someones's lap.

_"I'm not gonna sit on any of the girl's laps because that would be...different."_ Alicia thought. By the time she was at the table she finally choose Cam, because he was the only guy who wouldn't say anything perverted.

"I'm using you as a chair, there's no more room." Alicia said while she sat down, giving death glares at Kristen.

"Sure, whatever." Cam said, putting his arms around Alicia waist. But Alicia didn't mind, they would only be good friends. "I don't understand why they can't get their own damn table." Cam whispered in her ear.

"Seriously. It's like-"

"You know this table only seats _ten _people." Massie said, the table quieted down. "Not _twelve_." Massie looked at Kori and Strawberry. "Or_ sixteen._" Massie looked at Baxter and his crew, then at Kristen. "Just a little _heads up _for those who don't understand." Massie went back to eating her salad. The table was silent for a moment, but slowly conversation started up again.

**Cam- awesome massie**

**Massie- i noe let me get the others**

**Josh- good job telling them off**

**Claire- u weren't as mean as i though u would b**

**Massie- I noe, that wasn't part of the plan**

**Alicia- so KILL A BITCH is still on? **

**Dylan- like pancakes on syrup**

**Kemp- Isn't it the other way around?**

**Dylan- the syrup dominates wen i eat my pancakes**

**Cam- but seriously, I'm like get your own damn table!**

**Derrick- 'get your own damn table' is the motto for this**

**Josh- it is. maybe we should hold another meeting in a couple days**

**Massie- we should. Operation KILL A BITCH: Get your own damn table! is under way. Done.**

**Alicia- Done.**

**Dylan- Done.**

**Plovert- Here we go again...**

**Massie- u just ruined it **

**Plovert- sry, gosh**

**Massie- whatevs it's over Plovert. bye.**

**Plovert- but we were neva going out!**

**Plovert- ... Am I Alone?**

**Plovert-...Again?**

**Plovert- ...Anyone?**

**Plovert- u should really tell me when u end the convo.**

**Plovert- ...I HATE U ALL!**

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**(AN) Like I said before, the end of the text convo was unnecessary. But hey, Plovert adds spice. Peace Out. Schools Out...ha ha some of you are still in school. SUCKERS. Jk :)**


	5. TTYL

**Disclaimer- I do not own the clique.**

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Block Guesthouse

Claire's Bedroom

Wednesday, April 23

6:12 PM

Claire's phone rang, the caller ID said 'Layne', she quickly picked it up.

"Hey!" Claire said.

"Good day." Layne replied in a faux- studious voice. Other voices we heard in the background.

"Where are you?"

"Church class. We're not learning anything, we're outside, our teacher is really cool and he just was like, 'Let's just play outside all class.'"

"That's cool."

"What are you doing?" Layne said.

"I was talking to Massie a couple minutes ago-" Claire started.

"What do you talk to her about? You guys have_ nothing_ in common."

"We were gossiping. Shocker right? We have huge drama going on." Claire said.

"What?"

"It's really gossip-y and-"

"I like my share of gossip sometimes. Tell the story." Layne urged.

"Okay so, you know how Strawberry and Kori have been following around Kristen all the time, lately?"

"Ya, their attached by the umbilical cord, it's annoying." Layne said.

"And so they sit with Kristen, which cramps up the table because we don't have enough space to begin with."

"Add another table." Layne suggested.

"Burns won't let us. So anyways, Kori and Strawberry are okay-ish, their sorta my friends but they like stalk this ninth grade guy-" Claire said.

"Oh!" Layne interrupted. "And they're in my math class and they_ obsess _over Mr. Aiden. All they talk and joke about is how he's gonna _molest_ them or something, and how they are gonna light his house on fire on the last day of school. And I'm like: 'don't you two have anything else to talk about like normal people'?"

"Exactly. Today they wanted to use their phones to take pictures of that ninth grader. "

"I see fut-ure stalk-ers." Layne sing-songed.

"They already are. So back to the story, Kristen and her followers sit with us and act like the own the place, and the rest of us are trying to nicely say: "Get your own damn table!" But they don't understand what were trying to tell them. And then today- This really pissed me off... So you know Kristen is going out with Baxter, right?"

"That's nasty." Layne said, disgusted.

"I know. So she had the_ nerve _to bring his crew over to our table."

"That would've pissed me off too. Your table is already crowded as is. And that Baxter guy and his friends are jerks."

"_I know_. So the rest of us are thinking, "Get your own damn table!"- That's like the catchphrase for all off this." Claire chuckled. "So now, it's about to get ugly."

"I never liked Kristen anyways. She is a _fol-low-er _of Massie."

"Yeah. She_ was_, well, still sorta_ is,_ my friend, but now she's..."

"I get it...Well good gossip. As advice, I say you and your group sit outside and if _they_, meaning Kristen and her and all her robots, follow you, be like: 'Bitch!'...Oh and there will always be a seat open for you at my table, if things get too bad at yours. TTYL...I can't _believe_ I just said that."

Claire giggled. "Thanks for the advice. _TTYL_. Bye."

She thought for a moment about what Layne said, _'As advice, I say you and your group sit outside and if they, meaning Kristen and her and all her robots, follow you, be like: 'Bitch!' _She quickly dialed someone's number...

_Plovert._

_The master-mind (besides Alicia and Massie) of revenge plans..._

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**(AN)You can probably see that my writing style changed a little. I do. I guess I wanted to capture the '**_**flow' **_**of a normal conversation. **


	6. Class A Follower

**Disclaimer- I do not own the clique**

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BOCD

Study Hall

Thursday, April 24

11:27 PM

"Okay, so can you please tell me _why _you are holding this meeting, I have a geography paper due in two periods and I haven't even started on it." Massie asked Plovert, while sitting down, on a wooden circular table. The others members of The Group sat down with her.

"First: Since when do you care about school? Second: I'm tired of all those text meetings where you leave me hanging. I get lonely. And Third: God just answered our prayers; We..." Plovert looked at Claire, "have a plan."

"What?" Massie asked.

"They finished the outside cafeteria area construction two weeks ago, right?" Claire started.

"Yeah, so..." Josh said.

"Nobody eats out there." Claire said.

"Yeah I know, because we haven't deemed it 'cool' enough yet." Massie said.

"I know. So today, we should be the first outside-" Claire started.

"I see where you're going with this." Alicia interrupted. "Kristen and her whole crew will follow us outside; when they sit down next to us-"

"We'll switch tables complaining how the sun is in our eyes, or make up some other excuses." Claire finished.

"I see it now..." Massie said. "By then, most tables would already be filled up by other people, except the ones we sat at, 'cause we 'claimed' them. So once Kristen and her crew get the idea that we _don't_ want them sitting with us, they have to sit at one of our 'secondary' tables, making them look like... Class A Followers of us."

"Suggestion." Cam said. "We should switch off sitting at one of our 'secondary' tables, making it like the 'primary- secondary'. Then, when eating outside gains extreme popularity, people might take Kristen's table. So..."

"Kristen and her crew will have to sit at the 'primary, secondary' table we were switching off with. Making them look even worse." Claire reading his mind.

"Right." Plovert said. "Then later we should start eating _inside_ again. The eight grade would follow in two days or so. But in the meantime, Kristen and her crew, would sit at our 'primary' outside table, because they would think they are still _somewhat _part of our A-List group, and should save the table for A-Listers only."

"But they're _not _A-Lister anymore. They are Class A Followers. I like that phrase, it's a new social status term now." Massie said.

"And after everyone is sitting back inside...they are outside sitting in our 'primary' table, 'cause they're 'saving' it." Plovert said. "And since the whole school, except for them, thinks they follow us, they will look even more like..."

"Class A Followers." Alicia finished.

"I like this plan..." Massie said. "Who thought of it?"

"Well, Layne gave me the idea of sitting outside, and I went with it, with Plovert's help."

"Layne? Whatever. Are we executing this plot today?"

"Yep, as I said in the plan." Claire said.

"Don-" Massie started, but stopped. "You know what, Plovert? I won't say 'done' today. You did good-"

"_Well_." Kemp corrected.

"Puh-lease don't pull a Kristen over me." Massie said.


	7. Alpha Follower

**Disclaimer-I do not own the Clique**

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BOCD

New Green Cafe

Thursday, April 24

12:03 PM

Claire walked into the cafeteria with a smile on her face. _She was ready_. Ready to put her plan into action. Ready to watch the downfall of a Pretty Committee member besides Alicia or herself. Ready to sit back and watch Hell rise. Of course the plan would take about two school weeks, but during that time, she and Plovert could add sub-plans, while she stared into his eyes, behind those sexy glasses-

"Wait in line with us, we're going outside at the same time." Massie said, disrupting Claire's train of thought.

"'Kay," Claire said, looking around to see that Kristen and her crew were already sitting at Table 18.

"Even better to start this plan." Massie said, practically reading Claire's mind. "They'll look like LBRs when we just go outside, pretending to not notice that they're sitting at our table.

"Ya." Claire felt bad for a moment, knowing how it feels to be the subject of a revenge plan, but shook it off.

Massie and The Group finally got their food and made their way towards the doors that led to the outside cafeteria area.

The outside cafeteria was filled with six circular, stone picnic benches with green recycled- fabric umbrellas, seven red eco-friendly rectangular tables, and seven brown rectangular bamboo tables, and a large crate of recycled- rubber sports equipment. The perfect edition for the already eco-friendly New Green Cafe.

"Don't even look at them." Massie said through clenched teeth. Once outside, they sat down and began chatting like nothing was different. In a matter of minutes, the whole eight grade, including Kristen and her crew, (Kristen, Baxter, his three friends, Kori, and Strawberry), Now dubbed The Followers by The Group, gathered up their belongings and raced outside.

"_Exactly _as planned." Dylan said.

Snippets of Strawberry's and Kori's conversation was heard as they neared The Group's table.

"OhmyGod, he said that? That's so gross!"

"I know, Mr. Aiden is _so_ weird!"

"Guess who I talked to today..."

"...you seriously talked to Dorito today? You're so lucky!"

"Hey." Kristen said, sitting down. "You didn't tell me you guys were sitting outside today."

"You know, my eyes are burning from the sun at this angle," Massie said.

"Mine too." Claire said.

"And my sunglasses are in my locker." Massie said, ignoring Kristen. "Let's move." The Group got up and walked to a table with a green umbrella. The Followers, _followed_.

After about one minute at the new table Dylan said: "Okay, _now_ the sunlight is beating down my back."

"Same, these green umbrellas don't help, and I _hate_ to sweat." Alicia said, and they got up and moved to another table. The Followers behind them.

"_Ugh,_ I wanted to play some soccer after I finished eating, but the crate full of sports stuff is over there." Derrick pointed to the right of him. "And I don't want someone to take the soccer ball. Should we move again?"

"Nope, just eat fast. We can sit right here." The Group stared back at her in an expression that said. '_We_?'.

"No, let's _move_." Massie said giving Kristen a glare. Daring her to follow them and pay the consequences.

Kristen finally understood. She stopped her group from moving as she watched The Group walk to yet another table. A minute of staring at them went by, but from a death glare from Alicia, Kristen stopped and looked around, to find an un- A-List 'claimed' table. But unfortunately, she didn't find any. She was forced to sit at one of The Group's 'claimed' tables.

The first table that The Group moved from was already taken by Layne and her friends, who wouldn't be called A-list wannabees because there was an unspoken peace treaty between The Group and Layne plus her friends, due to Claire. The other table was too far away and Kristen would have to undergo a 'walk of shame'. So she decided to take the plunge and told her group to sit at the most recently 'claimed' alpha 'secondary' table, The Group just moved from. Disregarding Massie's words of wisdom she told Kristen back in to seventh grade. _"If somehow you are deemed a LBR or EW, never, and I repeat, never use a 'claimed' possession of an alpha group, within five minutes after they 'claimed' that possession. It will make you look like a wannabe, follower times ten."_

Kristen had a feeling that the rest of the eight grade BOCD population wouldn't think they stole The Group's table and were extreme followers of them, but she was wrong. She tried, but failed to block out the catty words that infected the area like mosquitoes on a humid summer day.

"She totally stole The Group's table."

"What a follower."

"First she infected Table 18 with her follower-ness, now _that_ table, all in a matter of minutes! What's next? A cheap knockoff of The Group, _The Crew_? Gawd, what a loser."

"Can't she hold up her own group by herself?"

"What group? They're just followers leaded by a follower, who follows The Group like a _stalker_."

"Strawberry and Kori are already stalkers."

"She'll never make it alone."

"Class. A. Follower." Massie said as she walked past their table to buy a drink inside.

_Follower._

_Follower._

_Follower._

The word haunted her. But deep down, Kristen knew their was and alpha inside of her.

_Alpha._

_Follower._

_Alpha._

_Follower._

_Alpha Follower._

_Alpha Follower._

_Alpha Follower._

_**Some words just don't mix.**_


	8. Chat: I

**Disclaimer- I do not own the clique.**

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Gregory Apartment

Kristen's Bedroom

Thursday, April 24

7:18 PM

Kristen was in a middle of a three way phone call with Strawberry and Kori.

"...I know, maybe I should quit The Group."

"You would make a great alpha."

"You would," Kori agreed.

"Yep, but I need more people for _my_ clique." Kristen said.

"So you _are_ making your own clique?"

Kristen sighed, she was making a big decision that could cost her social status. "_Yes_."

"OhmyGod!"

"I know. Now who would join our group?" Kristen asked them.

"Olivia would, and maybe Allie-Rose Singer and her friends. That would be good because they get some boy attention, which would add to more boys sitting at our cafeteria table." Said Strawberry.

"Smart. I'll e-mail them tonight."

"'Kay, now we need a group name and... who's your beta?"

"We'll figure that out later." Kristen said, dismissing the subject. "Bye."

"Bye!" The girls chorused and hung up.

Kristen sighed again. _"I can make it by myself, I can be alpha."_ Kristen thought to herself. _"Maybe I can persuade Massie for us to remain friends."_ (Which was follower for: '_I can follow her around just in case I don't make it as an alpha.'_)

She e-mailed Massie.

_--Original Message--_

_Sent: Thursday, April 24_

_From: Kristen Gregory_

_To: Massie Block_

_Subject: (No Subject)_

_Hey. Um..I'm quitting The Group, I rather be an alpha in another clique. Hope we can still be friends..._

_-Kristen_

She got an e-mail back after a couple of minutes:

_--Original Message--_

_Sent: Thursday, April 24_

_From: Massie Block_

_To: Kristen Gregory_

_Subject: RE: (No Subject)_

_Sure we can still be friends. Sorry I called you a Class A Follower. Don't worry you're still A-List. TTYL_

_-Massie_

Kristen was suspicious for a moment. _"Massie never would act this way when Alicia quit. But then again, Massie has been nicer lately."_ She shrugged it off. _"Now to persuade Olivia and Allie-Rose." _Kristen thought, typing an e-mail, milking all the alpha-ness out of herself and onto the computer screen.

_--Original Message--_

_Sent: Thursday, April 24_

_From: Kristen Gregory_

_To: Olivia Ryan, Allie-Rose Singer_

_Subject: You need an alpha_

_Hey. I know you aren't in a specific clique, and are in desperate need of an alpha, so join mine. There will be boys..._

_Your Alpha,_

_Kristen_

Five minutes later she got e-mails from both girls, that consisted of something like this, _'I'll totally join your group, see you tomorrow!'_

Kristen leaned back on her chair. _"Life is good."_

_For now..._


	9. Chat: II

****

Disclaimer- I do not own the Clique.

**(AN) This chapter...may surprise you...**

* * *

Plovert Estate

Plovert's Bedroom

Thursday, April 24

7:37 PM

Plovert flopped down on his bed with a sigh.

_He was sorry._

Not because of what they did to Kristen. He never liked that grades obsessed, I'm-so-much-smarter-than-you girl. He was sorry for himself.

Why?

He was sorry he was such a coward.

A coward because he was afraid to tell Claire he liked her. The plans that they devised together, those endings to text conversations (though we really hated when everyone just left him) were all hidden ways he tried to get her attention. Though her naive obliviousness of not noticing it attracted him to her more.

_Pick up the phone..._

_Pick up the phone..._

Plovert's ringtone said. He prayed that it was Claire. And if it was he would finally tell her he liked her. Nothing was stopping him except for himself; The Claire-Cam relationship was never to be again. And both didn't want to be together anymore.

_Pick up the phone... _His ringtone said, louder. He decided to not check the caller ID.

_Pick up the phone..._ The automated speaker said, louder, in an agitated voice. _"Next, time I'll pick up." _He thought to himself.

_Pick up the fucking phone!_ The automated voice screamed.

"Hello?" Plovert said.

"Hey. It's Massie."

Plovert sighed, "What do you want?"

"Just wanted to chat."

"Okay..."

"You know when a girl says she just wants to chat, you can take it as a sign that she's interested and/or likes you."

"You _like _me!" Plovert exclaimed, disgusted.

"Shitnasty, no! But I am _interested _in something."

"What?"

"Do you know if Baxter really likes Kristen or is it some scheme to get more popular? Kristen quit The Group. But we're 'friends', and she's still 'A-List'. That Class A Follower is _so_ gullible."

Plovert could practically _hear_ Massie roll her eyes. "She really quit? That's awesome! But to the answer to your question, I don't know, but I'll try to ask around for you."

"Good...you know Kristen and her crew would only be a group of three, if it wasn't for Baxter. How pathetic is that?"

"Really pathetic," _Beep, Beep_ "Look, Massie... gossiping on the phone about someone for a period of a time isn't really my idea of fun, and someone's on the other line."

"Whatever." Massie didn't sound offended. "See you tomorrow, bye."

"Bye." Plovert said, ended Massie's call and pressed a button to enter the new one. "Hello?"

"Hey! It's me, Claire."

"Oh, hey." Plovert's heart sped up. "What's up?"

_"Just wanted to chat..."_

* * *

**(AN) My friend has the exact same ringtone as Plovert xD.**


	10. Wanna Be Startin'

**Disclaimer- I do not own the Clique or any brands mentioned.**

* * *

BOCD

Outside Cafeteria

Friday, April 25

12:11 PM

Kristen entered the outside cafeteria area alone. Her 'clique' was already sitting down at the table, including Olivia and Allie-Rose Singer, and the number of boys that surrounded them. Once Kristen sat down, she braced herself for the whispers of the rest of the eight grade BOCD population.

"Still sitting at one of The Group's tables..."

"Fol-low-er."

"Gawd, what a slut."

"I know, look at the table, five girls and like fifteen guys. Slut Alert! Slut Alert!"

Kristen closed her eyes and got ready for even more harsh comments. But surprisingly, they got better.

"But look at that guy. Ew, not Baxter, he's gross!" Kristen rolled her eyes.

"...Oh, that guy, he _is_ kinda cute..."

"Look at how many people are sitting at their table."

"So much more than The Group's."

"So many guys."

"But they aren't as hot as The Group's guys."

"But still there's a lot of guys, and some of a them are cute, that must count for _something_."

"Maybe she _could_ make it alone."

Kristen smiled.

_The Followers-1 The Group-0_

* * *

BOCD

Chapel

Friday, April 25

3:07 PM

"Okay, so now that we are not holding any text meetings,_ thank God_, but the BOCD chapel?" Plovert said, walking hand-in-hand with Claire.

"We need privacy." Massie said.

"Before I thought you were crazy, but now? Are you on drugs?" Cam said, iPod headphones in his ears. "Why are we walking _all_ the way to the back of the chapel? No one is spying on us."

_I said 'you wanna be startin' somethin'..._

"I heard voices, what was that?" Alicia exclaimed, grabbing onto Derrick's jacket.

"Let go of me." Derrick said, grumpily. "Probably some bat, no need to have a Freak-Attack, Alicia."

"Someone's PMSing today..." Kemp joked.

"Shut up."

_...You got to be startin' somethin'_

"There it is again, someone's _following _us." Claire said, grabbing Plovert's hand tighter.

"Must be Kristen, she does that for a living." Massie joked. "Keep moving people, nothing to be afraid of!"

"How long do we have to walk-_Ommph_." Dylan said.

"I think that was the back wall. Well, happy Massie?"

"Yes, now we can hold our meeting. Sit down in a circle."

"I can barely see anything." Derrick said.

"Throw your cell phones out on the ground towards my voice." Massie said. "_Ouch_." There was an eerie bluish-white glow around Massie. "Now let's sit around the lights so we can see everyone's faces." The Group all sat knee to knee, criss-cross around the eerie glow of the cell phone lights.

"I feel like I'm in some kind of cult..." Kemp said.

_Ma Ma Se, Ma Ma Sa, Ma Ma Coo Sa, Ma Ma Se, Ma Ma Sa, Ma Ma Coo Sa..._

"There it is again!" Dylan exclaimed, and buried her head in Cam's leather jacket. "Wait a minute... It's coming from _you_."

"Really?" Dylan snatched Cam's iPod from his hands, but Plovert took it from Dylan.

"_Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'_?" Michael Jackson?" Plovert asked.

"Yes. I love that song." Cam replied.

"Michael Jackson?"

"Yes. He's like an _innovator _of music."

"Michael? _Jackson_?"

"_Yes_."

"Dude, Michael Jackson like molests little boys!"

"How dare you say that? Okay, so maybe he has a little child molestation problems, but if you put that aside; He's an _innovator_! _'Don't Stop The Music'_, by Rihanna...All the things around Ma Ma Se, Ma Ma Sa, Ma Ma Coo Sa: This song started _all _of that!"

"Do I _look _like I listen to Rihanna?" Plovert asked.

"No, but you do look like you listen to that Hannah Montana shit!"

"No, I don't!...Michael Jackson's music sucks."

"Say that one more time; I will _kill _you."

"Michael. Jackson's. Music. Sucks. _Ass_."

"_Ugh_!" Cam reached over to punch Plovert.

"Guys, please!" Massie said breaking up the fight. We are in a _chapel_, remember?"

"Jesus just saved your life..." Cam said to Plovert, backing down.

"People are entitled to their own opinion." Massie said. "Cam you can like Michael Jackson. And Plovert you can like Hannah Montana."

"But I don't!"

"Anyways, there's no need to go all ape-shit on each other-"

"And you know not to mess with Cam and his music, Plovert. Like one time I changed to song on his iPod and he almost ripped my fingers off... _It was scary_." Alicia added grimly.

"Back to business people. We lost about five minutes to that meaningless fight." Massie stared at Plovert, then at Cam. "We have serious matters to discuss."

"This better be good..." Derrick mumbled.

"It is." Massie sighed. "The Followers. Are. Gaining. _Popularity_."

"That's it! Claire and I missed ice cream for _that_!" Plovert exclaimed, he stood up, Claire with him. Both got their cell phones and started to walk away.

"Seriously Massie, we could have just done a huge nine-way." Claire said.

"I thought you two _hated _Kristen."

Cam pressed pause on his iPod. "Maybe, we are being too mean to her." He said. "I mean she's kinda cool and pret-Never mind."

"We're you about to say she was pretty?" Alicia pressed.

"No, I was gonna say she was part of the Pretty Committee. But now that she's not, I can't say that anymore."

"Whatevs." Alicia looked at him suspiciously.

"I hate her because she cramps up the table which disrupts my 'eating flow', and then she has the nerve to follow us around and be all smart-Alec-y." Plovert said, still walking away with Claire.

"Leave now, and I'll spread a rumor that you're only going out with Claire to get Hannah Montana concert tickets." Josh said. Plovert and Claire froze. Massie mouthed a 'thank you' to him.

"You wouldn't."

"I would. I need my Gossip Points." Josh said.

Plovert started walking again, hand-in-hand with Claire.

"And I'll spread a rumor that you're gay." Plovert said.

"You wouldn't."

"I _would_. '_I need some Gossip Points_.' can back it up, because that screams Perez Hilton-Gossip _Guy_-Gay."

"Come _awn _guys." Dylan pleaded. "As a duo, you two come up with _the_ best plans."

Claire looked at Plovert, Plovert looked at Claire. They both sighed. "Fine," They said in unison.

"Awww, they said it at the same time, that's so cute!" Kemp said in falsetto. "Now come back you two lovebirds and make up a plan that will raise Hell."

"Maybe we should host this 'Plan Party' at my house." Massie said.

"But this plan might take a while."

"The guys could sleepover."

_This could be fun..._

* * *

**(AN) you may think that Cam's liking for Michael Jackson music doesn't really matter...but I need to establish the fact that Cam loves music and likes 'weird' songs for the next few chapters.**


	11. What Ever Happened

**Disclaimer- I do not own the clique or any brands mentioned.**

* * *

Block Estate

Massie's Room

Friday. April 25

3:37 PM

"I've always wondered what you girls did at sleepovers." Cam said, hopping on Massie's bed.

"Off my bed, Fisher." Massie said, smacking his arm.

"_Ouch_!"

"Aren't we missing someone?" Dylan asked, looking around.

"Plovert and Claire. They went out for ice cream, remember?" Massie said.

"Oh, yeah...well since their gone, what do we do now? 'Cause their like the 'plan generators.'" Dylan asked.

"We do what we normally do," Massie said. "We _gossip_. Form a circle on the floor."

"So Cam, why did you go out with Olivia?" Alicia asked, while sitting down.

"Um-"

"Were you jealous?"

"No."

"Tell us the truth..." Massie said.

"...Fine. I was jealous."

"Do you still like Claire?" Dylan asked.

"No."

"Do you like someone else?"

"What is this, Twenty-Questions?" Cam exploded.

"Sor-ry, just wanted to get the facts." Alicia said. "Moving on...Massie, what's up with you and Derrick?"

"Yeah, it was 'I hate you' in the beginning of the year and now since we've started sitting at the same cafeteria table it's 'We're friends now!'" Kemp said in a childish voice.

"There was no 'Let's talk.' It went from, 'I hate you' to 'I like you' in a day's time." Alicia added.

"I guess we didn't talk about it and just decided to be friends." Derrick said looking at Massie.

"I guess..." Massie said.

"Whatever. And Dylan, Kemp and, Plovert?" Alicia asked. "What happened between you guys?"

"We talked. We listened. We became friends." Dylan said.

"That simple?" Massie asked.

"That simple." Kemp replied.

"Okay, so now that we know what the couples became of-" Alicia started.

"Wait a minute." Massie said holding her palm up. "What's with you two?" Massie said pointing to Josh and Alicia. "You were going out in the beginning of the year and now you're..._not_."

"Well-" Josh said.

"Too much in common, so you had nothing new to talk about?" Cam asked.

"Yeah." Alicia said, ending the conversation.

There was an awkward silence.

"Please enter gay baby named Josh to the world" Dylan joked.

"Why does everyone think I'm gay? 'Cause I'm not." Josh whined.

"We don't think you're gay. It's just a joke 'cause of the way you dress with the Ralph Lauren and your love of gossip...'cause that's a little...for a guy. I can't find the word I'm looking for." Massie said.

"Surprising?"

"Out there?"

"_Queer_?"

The Group laughed.

"I hate you guys."

"_We love you too-_ Oh! Our little masterminds are back." Alicia said looking towards the door.

"Missed us?" Plovert asked, licking a Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream cone.

"You know I love Mint Chocolate Chip, why didn't you get me one?" Dylan complained.

"You should have asked before." They both sat down. "Now, let's get started."

* * *

Block Estate

Massie's Room

Friday, April 35

4:45 PM

"...Maybe you could get Alicia to 'apologize' to Kristen saying she hates us and then she would join The Followers, to get all the details about them." Derrick suggested.

"I would _never _do a plan like that." Alicia insisted.

"It's impossible."

"Like Alicia running."

"Like Dylan sticking to a diet."

"Like Derrick quitting soccer."

"Like Massie thinking she will die and _actually _go to heaven." Plovert added.

"What?"

"Nothing." Plovert smiled innocently.

"This is harder than I thought..." Cam said.

"Maybe instead of devising another whole plan, we should just quicken the duration of the 'Kill a bitch: Get your own damn table!' plan." Kemp said.

"How?"

"Maybe..." Claire started. "We could get some of Layne's new friends, you know those NLBRs; Great White, Braille Bait, and Monkey Paws," Claire giggled. "to sit at Kristen's table, and then The Followers will be forced to sit at our 'primary secondary' table."

"...And we could say 'We were about to sit there, you stole our table!' Then just sit down at the 'primary' table, and verbally insult them from afar." Plovert said.

"Simple. Yet effective." Massie said. "I like it."

"I never thought I would say this," Alicia said. "but we need to contact Layne."

"I'm on it." Claire said, cell phone by her ear.

"Put it on speaker." Massie mouthed.

Claire nodded. "Hey! You're on speaker."

"Hey." Layne said.

"We need your help."

"What?"

"We need some of your friends to sit at the table where Kristen and her clique eat lunch."

"Sure, I'm practically _dying _in math class." Layne said. "Now all Strawberry and Kori talk about is 'Kristen the Great'. Me, Meena, Heather, Dana, Jenna..."

"Dana and Jenna?" Massie mouthed to Claire.

"Monkey Paws, and Great White." Claire mouthed back.

Massie stifled a giggle.

"...and Dempsey could all sit at Kristen's table 'cause we all hate them. Were doing this on Monday, right?"

"Yep."

"Cool. See you later."

"'Kay, bye." Claire hung up. "What ever happened to you and Dempsey?" She asked.

"We still talk sometimes, but were not even close to going out."

Claire shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever."

"Well now since we figured out a plan. What do we do now?"

"Solve all our unanswered questions. Plovert, any scoop of whether or not Baxter really likes Kristen?" Massie asked.

"Nope. Sorry."

"Then we'll have to go directly to the source. Derrick, do you have Baxter's number?"

"Yeah."

"Call him, put him on speaker, pretend that no one but you is in the room." Massie ordered. "We can't say a word when he's talking." Massie said to the rest of The Group. "Now call him, get him to spill about his relationship."

"Yes, Master." Derrick joked, while he found Baxter's number and pressed 'talk.'

"Yo, dude."

"What's up?" Baxter said.

"Are you trying out for soccer next year?"

"Maybe."

"Good, 'cause they're some openings...Kristen could give you some lessons."

Baxter sighed. "Maybe."

"What, you don't like her?" Derrick asked innocently.

"Before I went out with her I did. But now, she's just weird."

"Weird?"

"Ya, like all she talks about is The Group and how she wants to gain popularity on her own."

"So you two don't really talk?"

"No, we talk, but whenever she starts talking about her popularity, I just wanna say 'Shut up!'"

"So your saying you're tired of her?" Derrick asked.

"Ya, I might break up with her."

_Bingo._

"Oh, well, talk to you later, man."

"Bye." _Click_.

"Much easier than I expected." Massie said.

"Yup...What do we do now?" Derrick asked.

"We sleepover."

"And what do you do these 'sleepovers'?" Cam asked.

"Haven't you guys slept-over at each others houses before?"

"We don't 'sleepover', we 'spend the night'" Cam replied.

"Okay...what's the difference?" Alicia asked.

"Instead of gossiping about how Sarah peed her pants when she saw Prom Night, we play video games and stuff."

Massie thought for a moment. "I have Guitar Hero III, and I'm pretty good at it."

"Let's rock." Cam replied, while Massie set it up and the others decided who would go first.


	12. If You Only

**Disclaimer- I do not own the Clique or any brands mentioned.**

* * *

Fisher House

Cam's Bedroom

11:14 AM

Cam sat on his bed, trying to gain back control of his mind.

After around twelve hours of Guitar Hero, his vision was altered to see green, red, yellow, blue, and orange dots wherever he looked. He was constantly hearing 'boos' from an invisible crowd due to Alicia's lack of hand-eye coordination. _'Hit Me With Your Best Shot' _was playing on a loop in his head, because Alicia refused to give anybody else a chance until she finished her _first _song. And his thoughts about Kristen were running haywire. He did not like her. Did he? She_ is_ the enemy. Cam flashed back to yesterday.

_"Maybe, we are being too mean to her." He said. "I mean she's kinda cool and pret-Never mind."_

_"We're you about to say she was pretty?" Alicia pressed._

_"No, I was gonna say she was part of the Pretty Committee. But now that she's not, I can't say that anymore."_

_"Whatevs."_

Okay, so maybe he was going to say she was pretty. But she _was_ part of the _Pretty _Committee, so doesn't she practically have "Call me pretty." written on her forehead with a Sharpie marker? He was just stating the obvious, wasn't he? _Ping_. Speak of the devil, she just IMed him.

**Sexysportsbabe- Hey.**

**Fisher2- Hey.**

**Sexysportsbabe- I can't believe ur talking 2 me, wouldn't ur queen Massie say something**

**Fisher2- I don't listen 2 Massie and I thought u 2 were still friends**

**Sexysportsbabe- that was until I decided yesterday that i could make it alone**

**Fisher2- Alone? U just follow us around**

**Sexysportsbabe- I do not, I have my own group.**

**Fisher2- ur group would b NOTHING without guys around, if there wasn't any guys your group would fall apart. If Baxter broke up wit u, your 'friends' would b GONE**

**Sexysportsbabe- ur just jealous on Massie's part**

**Fisher2- Wat?**

**Sexysportsbabe- you are felling Massie's jealously, cause I know she is jealous that they're are so many guys sitting at our table.**

**Fisher2- five girls surrounded by fifteen guys. Whore much?**

Cam felt guilty for calling her a whore, but she was the one provoking the fight. Right?

**Sexysportsbabe- Ugh! I'm not a whore!**

**Fisher2- then wat would u call a person who is so dependent on guys she persuaded people to join their group by saying there will be a lot of boys. Wat would you call that. Slut? Hoe? Skank? U pick.**

**Sexysportsbabe- how did you find out?**

**Fisher2- Olivia showed the e-mail u sent her 2 Alicia.**

**Sexysportsbabe- I hate you Cam, ur such a freak**

**Fisher2- Am I a freak because I speak my mind unlike u who just keeps ur mouth shut and follows people around? At least I have the nerve.**

**Sexysportsbabe- no because of your eyes, mutant! Are you a scarecrow?**

**Fisher2- Wow. go strait for the eyes is that the best you can do? And no, I am not a scarecrow, cause I _do _have a brain. Yeah, I was obsessed wit that movie when I was five. And way to rip off a 'Massie diss'. Poor Kristen, if u only had ur own brain...With the thoughts you'd be thinkin' u could be another Lincoln, if u only had a brain...**

**Sexysportsbabe signed off at 11:27 AM.**

Cam sighed and put his away message. He flopped back on his bed and debated with himself for twenty minutes to decide whether or not he should call Kristen and apologize because he had _never _been that mean to a person before. But then again, she started it, and was the one who provoked it. She shouldn't have IMed him in the first place. And all those eye insults were staring to get on his nerves. He decided all crush-feelings for her were gone, they were now enemies. Cam thought for a moment, grinned and picked up his cell phone. _He won that battle_.

"Hey, Massie?"

"Ya?"

"_We're tied_."

_The Followers- 1 The Group- 1_

* * *

**(AN) Can you find all the Wizard of Oz references?...I love that movie :D **


	13. KO

BOCD

New Green Cafe

Lunch Line

Monday, April 28th

"Houston, we have a problem." Kemp said.

"What?" Massie asked.

"You know how Claire, Plovert, or Alicia usually saves our table outside? Claire and Plovert aren't outside and Alicia's lunch time announcements are running late."

"So?"

"Layne and her friends took Kristen's table. But the Kristen virus is spreading."

"And?"

"Don't you get it? Some of Kristen's group took the 'primary secondary' table and the rest are sitting at _our_ 'primary' table."

"That motherfu-" Kemp quickly put his palm over Massie's mouth and smiled sweetly to a teacher who was passing by.

"Gosh can you saw it any louder, I don't think she heard you." Kemp sarcastically remarked.

Massie disgustingly pulled Kemp's hand from her mouth. "You smeared my lipgloss." She said, pulling out her Crème Brûlée Glossip Girl from her purse. "They're back." Massie sing-songed as Plovert and Claire walked up to them, cutting around twenty people who were in line. "Where were you?" Massie asked, putting the cap back on her Glossip Girl tube.

"Somewhere."

"Doing what?"

"Something."

"You two _disgust _me. Making out in the janitor's closet." Kemp shook his head.

"We were not!"

"Then what were you doing?"

Massie lifted her palm. "It doesn't matter." She snapped. "What _does _matter is that you two usually save our seats, and since you were gone and Alicia's running late, Kristen stole _both_ of our outside tables."

Plovert glanced outside from the windows. "It doesn't matter, we'll sit back inside the rest of the eighth grade will follow us, _as planned_."

"_No_. You don't get it do you? Kristen is getting more groupies." Massie said, while grabbing a Cesar salad from a large tray.

"Oh...We're in deep shit." Plovert dead-panned.

"Yeah." Massie rolled her eyes.

"Come on guys were sitting inside." Massie said to the rest of The Group.

"I say we get her back." Dylan said while sitting down at Table 18.

"What do we do know? We already have like two plans in action. One more will just confuse everything." Josh said.

Dylan took a bite of her turkey burger. "Exposé of how LBRish they are on my mom's show."

"You're kidding right?"

"Nope."

_...Romeo and Juliet this Friday, after school... This is Alicia Rivera, saying I heart you._

"_Finally_." Dylan rolled her eyes.

"Romeo and Juliet..." Plovert trailed off.

"Sounds cool..." Massie said.

Plovert shrugged.

"How 'bout we talk to Burns, saying they are so mean to us. They'll get in trouble."

"Too Mean Girls." Cam replied.

"You've seen that movie?" Derrick asked.

"For one of my Health projects. About how bad cliques can be."

"We're no better." Claire sighed.

As The Group discussed more ways to get destroy Kristen, Massie studied the cafeteria. _Half and Half. _Half of the eighth grade followed them inside and the other half followed Kristen and stayed outside. Then it dawned on her. "No need to make up more plans."

"Why?"

"Did you guys forget? Baxter's breaking up with Kristen soon. And without him, her kingdom will crumble."

"True. But K.O., she still won this third round. She's getting more followers. It's 2 to 1." Cam said.

"This isn't a boxing match." Alicia said while sitting down.

"Feels like one."

"Get ready. Round four. _Ding-Ding_." Plovert joked.


	14. Quiet Before The Storm

**Disclaimer- I do not own the clique or any brands mentioned.**

**(AN) Sorry that the past chapters have been short. The next one will be long. Promise. But this chapter has major foreshadowing, so you'll have a idea of what's gonna happen in the next chapter...**

* * *

Fisher House

8:01 PM

Thursday, May 1st

_"In the Criminal Justice System the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important groups. The police who investigate crime and the District Attorneys who prosectue the offenders. These are their stories."_

_Dun-Dun_

"Law and Order?" Alicia asked.

"Yeah, it's a good show."

"I've never seen it but I'll take your word for it."

"Then how did you know I was watching Law and Order?" Cam asked.

"The _Dun-Dun_ sound effect is unmistakable."

"Oh."

"Guess what?" Alicia asked excitedly.

"It was the co-worker! It's always the co-worker!" Cam shouted.

"What?"

"Sorry, talking about the show...You were saying."

"I'm trying out for Juliet for _Romeo and Juliet_."

"I thought Massie was going to. And if she's trying out, that means no one else can. It's stupid, but that's how she is..."

"She was going to, but decided there was too much drama going on. So she said I could tryout as a gift for not going to the 'dark side'-Kristen. But I think she's suspicous, I didn't do anything!

"_Yet_. No offence, but you _do _have a past for being a backstabbing, sabotaging, bitch...and you never seemed like a thespian. So you trying out seems kinda odd. "

"I'm a what?"

"A _thes-pi-an_, a drama person-The co-worker's dead! ... The show, sorry."

"I guess I am a thespian. I'm trying out with Plovert."

"Plovert? I never thought he was..."

"I know. But he's the only one who agreed to tryout with me. Derrick, Kemp, and Josh all said no. And I know you will say no, because you have stage- fright."

"Then why are you calling me?"

Alicia sighed. "Well, there is a part in the tryout where we have to ki-"

_Dun-Dun_

Cam gasped. "It wasn't the girl it was the _mother_!...Sorry, what were you going to say?"

Alicia took a deep breath. "Nothing-"

"The girl was lying about the whole thing! Sorry Alicia, the show's getting good."

"...Hopefully _she'll_ understand."

"_Huh_?"

"Never mind." Alicia sounded agitated. "You know, not a lot of drama has happened in a while."

"Quiet before the storm."

"I guess your right."

"The girl's _therapist_? Sorry. See you later?

Alicia sighed. "Yeah, I'll see you later. Bye."

"Bye."


	15. The Picture

**Disclaimer- I do not own the clique, Twix, or any brands mentioned**

**(AN) What has it been, like three weeks since I updated? Well, here's the long chapter I promised you.**

* * *

BOCD

New Green Cafe

Friday, May 2nd

12:43 PM

_Four days_. Four days since she had any connection with The Group, and things were starting to go Kristen's way. "Looks like someone stole your table." Kristen sneered, trying to pull off as a confident alpha, as she walked out of the cafeteria.

_Click_. Plovert clicked his tongue, and that was a sign he was extremely pissed. And when he was pissed...well, he easily could be meaner than any Pretty Committee member. Kristen gulped as Plovert opened his mouth-

"That's what happens when followers steal our table." Claire snapped.

The Group and The Followers were silent. The comeback wasn't Hall of Fame worthy, but it was coming from _Claire_.

Massie laughed. "That's a good one, considering it was coming from _you_." She said.

"Well, at least I have a boyfriend." Kristen fired back at Massie.

Plovert chuckled. "For now..." The Group walked away.

Kristen opened her mouth to say something back, but The Group was already gone.

"Whatdoeshemean'for now'?" Carrie Randolph, one of her newest followers, slurred.

"Um, well...that's such a lie because we all know The Group are a bunch of sabotaging bitches that-"

"Can you please stop talking about them? Is that the _only _thing you talk about?" Baxter snapped.

"_No_..." Kristen dragged Carrie away.

"What'shisproblem?" Carrie asked.

Kristen stopped for a moment to figure out what she was saying. "...I don't know. But you know Plovert was lying, right? Do you believe me?"

"OfcourseIdo." Carrie said, but her eyes told something different. Kristen picked up on this and panicked.

* * *

BOCD

Soccer Field.

4:16 PM

Friday, May 2nd

"Ugh, I don't know why Coach Davis made us have practice on a _Friday_." Strawberry said dabbing her forehead.

"Hey! Why don't we have a sleepover at my place?" Kori suggested.

"That'll be great! We'll invite some other people too. Isn't that a good idea?" Strawberry looked toward Kristen.

"It's a great idea." Kristen said. A car pulled up to the curb. Strawberry and Kori got in.

"Want a ride to my house? Your mom knows my mom, so I think it'll be fine." Kori said.

"No, I'll meet you over there. I have something important business to do back at the school. My mom said to call her when I'm ready to be picked up." Kristen replied. She actually only had to get her science book from her locker, but why tell them that?

"Okay. See you there, around 7:45-ish 'kay?" Kori said.

"'Kay."

Kori smiled and closed the door. Once the car was out of sight, Kristen went back into her panic mode that was haunting her since lunch, as she fast-walked to the BOCD building.

_Plovert words are untrue and Baxter isn't mad_. Was the phrase she assured herself over and over. Kristen looked back at her and Baxter's conversation during history class. Something about donuts and bagels, somehow that turned into a conversation about the TV show _Cops_. Then about liars...Plovert... and then Baxter mumbling 'shut up'. Kristen gasped, before she brushed off his 'shut up' as something said to the teacher, but he was talking about _her_. How could she be so stupid? She quickly pulled out her cell phone. She was going to explain to him about why she was acting this way. Make things right again before-

**Baxter- All you do is talk about The Group, and after a while it gets really annoying. You talk about them 24/7 like you still want to be friends with them. Make up your mind, you're really weird. It's over.**

Kristen dropped her phone in the grass. She knew Baxter was a jerk, but being dumped over a text message was pretty harsh. Kristen dried her tears, picked up her phone, and started walking again. The cold metal handle of the BOCD doors refreshed her senses. _She was an alpha_. She held her head up high, and strutted down the hallway, though it was deserted, and BOCD was in it's usual after-school state:

Off-key blasts of whistle from the gym, that could be heard down the halls, where the basketball team practiced for their Saturday game.

The pinging noises of bells came from a classroom with it's door closed, where the Academic Bowl practiced.

The occasional 'checkmate' from the people in the chess club.

The theater where the thespians all gathered:

Two people holding a script and kissing, in the middle of the stage-

Kristen squinted her eyes. She saw black hair, tan skin, and the ends of glasses poking out from some guys' ears. She knew for a fact the girl was Alicia, and Alicia would _never _kiss some LBR guy who wore glasses. The guy must have been hot, and _Plovert _was the _only _hot guy who could pull off wearing glasses. Kristen quickly snapped a picture of the two with her cell phone, mere seconds before they pulled away. Kristen took a picture of a row of lockers, then quickly hid behind the lockers and waited for twenty minutes until they both walked out of the theater.

"Thanks for trying out with me." Alica hugged Plovert.

"I had to help, no one else would," he replied.

Still hiding behind the locker, Kristen put the picture up on her cell phone screen, locked her phone so Plovert and Alicia couldn't delete it, and threw it onto the floor where they were standing. Plovert picked up her phone.

"Just wait 'til Claire and The Group sees _that_." Kristen walked out from where she was hiding.

"You can't do this. We were only _acting_, the teacher is standing close to us." Plovert's voice shook, as he and Alicia studied the picture.

"It's called Photoshop." Kristen grinned a wicked grin.

"They know we're trying out." Alica said.

"Did you tell them you two had to kiss?" Kristen asked.

".._Yes_..." Alicia replied

"You're lying, whenever someone lies they look up and to the right.

"You can not say that, I am _not _lying." Alicia said.

"And liars don't use contractions when they lie." Kristen grinned. "So, did you tell them you had to kiss?"

Alicia looked down. "..._Yes_..."

"Liars don't use eye contact..."

"Can you please stop with the interrogation Detective Gregory?" Plovert snapped.

"And liars use humor or sarcasm to get off the subject. So, I'll ask you again, did you tell them you had to kiss?"

"No." Alicia said.

"Exactly." Kristen smirked.

"You-You can't do this." Plovert repeated, looking at the picture.

"I can, and I _will_. Now follow me, lets talk." Kristen said.

Plovert locked eyes with her. For a split second Kristen saw a emotion from Plovert that she never seen from him before...

_Fear_.

* * *

BOCD

Parking Lot

4:56 PM

Friday, May 2nd

"Hey mom...Yeah can you pick me up?... I was talking to the Academic Bowl, I might join."

"Liar." Plovert coughed.

"What? No! I am not lying. They are talking about the _fire_...wildfires." Kristen said.

"'_I am. They are_.' Lairs don't use contractions." Alicia smirked.

Kristen soccer- kicked her. "Ouch," she shrieked.

"Oh, no mom...those bells they use are really heavy, it hurts when it falls on your toes...And you know you said I could invite some friends over now? I can! Thanks!...So, see you in twenty minutes?...'Kay, bye."

"Stay here. I have to get my science book."

"And if we leave?" Plovert asked.

"The picture..."

Plovert sighed. "Fine."

Kristen ran back inside the building. In fifteen minutes, she was back beside them.

"You get one text message, Plovert. Alicia doesn't have any since she has a history of going behind people's backs, it's nothing new. Anyways, I'm watching you, Plovert." Kristen said.

"We're not in jail, but whatever." Plovert pulled out his phone, Kristen breathing down his neck.

"A little privacy please?" Plovert grimaced.

"The picture..."

Plovert sighed.

**Plovert- Claire, don't listen to anything Kristen says if she talks to you**

**Claire- why should I believe you? You're the one kissing Alicia! I hate to do this over text message, but it's over. I hate you!**

**Plovert- but**

Kristen snatched his phone away.

"I said _one _text message."

"You already sent the picture to her?" Plovert exclaimed.

Kristen smirked. "I uploaded it to the school computer. They have Photoshop. All I had to do was take out the people, change the background to a picture of lockers, and voilà! All done in ten minutes."

Plovert looked up at her with the saddest eyes she ever seen from him. Kristen felt sorry for a moment, but shrugged it off. She knew he would get payback, but it was about time she did something good for herself. Kristen watched as her mom's sliver Toyota Prius drove toward them.

"Get in and act like we're friends." Kristen told Alicia and Plovert

"Why? The Group probably already hates us. There's nothing else you can do." Plovert said walking away, Alicia with him.

"I only sent the picture to The Group, just wait until I send it to the whole school. They'll think their alphas are a bunch of cheating bitches, I can finally have absolute power." Kristen watched as her mom's car pulled up to the curb.

"Smile." Kristen said through her teeth. Plovert and Alica walked over and put on their best fake smiles, used only for teachers and persuading their parents to give them something.

All three piled into the back seats. Kristen in the middle.

"Good evening Mrs. Gregory, I think you already know Alicia, I'm Chris Plovert." Plovert introduced himself.

"It's good to meet you Christopher." Plovert cringed.

"Good to meet you, too." Plovert fake- smiled.

"Hi Mrs. Gregory, it's nice to see you again." Alicia said.

"It's nice to see you too, Alicia."

There was ten minutes of silence.

"So, um, Mrs. Gregory, I see you have a Prius. At least _some _people are going environmentally friendly." Plovert said.

"I know. I still see those huge Hummers on the road, and I'm just..." Alicia sighed and shook her head.

"You two are good actors." Kristen said through her teeth. Plovert sharply turned to her and glared.

"What was that?" Mrs. Gregory asked through the car mirror.

"Oh, Alicia tried out for a play at school, and I helped her." Plovert said.

"You _kissed _her." Kristen hissed. Plovert discreetly stomped on her foot.

"Ouch!" Kristen shouted.

"More pain from that bell incident?" Mrs. Gregory asked.

"..._Yeah_." Kristen leaned down to rub her foot.

Mrs. Gregory turned off the car. "We're here." Plovert opened the door, and walked out. Instead of slamming the door in Kristen's face, like she would have thought he would, he stepped back and made a sweeping motion with his hand.

"After you," he said and smiled sweetly.

"Such a gentleman." Plovert smiled at Mrs. Gregory, then turned to Kristen and smirked. Plovert watched Mrs. Gregory walk away, and slammed the door in Kristen's face, putting his body weight against it. Alicia quickly did the same thing, but locked the door before she got out, because she would never be stronger than Kristen.

"Can I lock the car?" Mrs. Gregory said, not looking back.

"Yes, ma'am." Plovert and Alicia sweetly said in unison. Kristen shouted and banged on the windows but no sound was heard.

"Thank _Gawd _for sound- proof windows." Alicia snickered and high-fived Plovert.

"Okay, ready?" Plovert asked Alicia.

"Yeah."

"Oh my _Gosh _Kristen, you should have told me you went back in the car!" Plovert exclaimed.

"What's with you and 'gosh'?" Alicia whispered. "Anyways... ...That wasn't a very smart thing to do Kristen... Mrs. Gregory," Alicia shouted. "Can you unlock the car door? Kristen's still inside. She didn't tell us she went back in there."

"Of course, sweetheart. Thanks for telling me." Mrs. Gregory unlocked the door. Kristen stormed out.

"They lock-" Kristen started.

"Kristen Gregory, please do the responsible thing next time and tell Christopher you went back in the car, after he held the door for you like such a gentleman. End of discussion."

Kristen sighed and walked up to Plovert and Alicia. "Okay. You two know that I'm poor, and you hate me, but please don't tell anyone else that I'm poor."

Plovert scoffed.

"The picture: The whole school..." Kristen reminded them.

"When this little blackmailing shit is over I'm telling the _whole world _that you're poor. And that's a _promise_." Plovert said.

"You know, you are the meanest person I know? Worst than Massie and that's saying something."

Plovert shrugged, then smirked "I try." Plovert put on his fake-smile. "Mrs. Gregory, may we go into your lovely condo?"

"Of course, make yourselves at home." Mrs. Gregory smiled.

Plovert and Alicia fast walked into her condo snickering, just so quietly, so Mrs. Gregory couldn't hear.

"He is such a nice boy, and a gentleman." Mrs. Gregory said.

Kristen scoffed and walked inside.

She finally reached her bedroom and opened the door to see Plovert feeding her cat, David Beckham a Twix, and Alicia sneering at her Ikea desk.

"Don't give him chocolate, he'll spew diarrhea everywhere, though he's potty trained." Kristen snapped.

Plovert watched David Beckham down the last bit of the Twix, looked up at Kristen, shoved another Twix in his mouth, and put his hands up and shrugged his shoulders, smirking.

"N_eed a moment? Chew it over with Twix_." Alicia snickered and high-fived Plovert

Kristen sighed, but remembered she was blackmailing them and smiled. "Let's get started."

"Make it quick, I don't want to be here when that chocolate reaches his anus." Plovert pointed to David Beckham.

"I'll just say _you _gave him the chocolate." Kristen said.

"Your mom practically loves me, so I'll just say you're _so _irresponsible for not telling me that your cat's allergic to chocolate. And the cat looked _so _hungry 'cause you haven't been feeding him."

"The picture..." Kristen reminded him.

"You're poor..." Plovert countered.

"Anyways, let's get started, who else may know about this _kiss _in The Group. May I assure you, I can tell when you're lying." Kristen said.

Alicia sighed. "_Cam_. I was talking to him a couple days ago about the kiss, but he seemed so caught up in a Law and Order episode.

"So do you think that he has told The Group the picture was fake?" Kristen interrogated.

"_No_. I found out that a Law and Order marathon is going on this whole week and even if he _did _know about the kiss, he would probably be too wrapped up in a Law and Order episode to care to tell the others that it's fake.

Kristen grinned. "Anything else about Cam I should know about."

Alicia sighed again. "I think he may have liked you before all of _this-_" Alicia waved her hands around, meaning when Kristen formed her own clique "-happened."

"_Good_." Kristen grinned. "He's my next boyfriend."


	16. No One

****

(AN) I know it's been a while, but i just started school a couple weeks ago (i start school really early), so things have been busy.

**Disclaimer- I do not own the clique**

* * *

BOCD Cafe

Table 11

Thursday, May 8th

12:17 PM

"You know, Cam should have tried out for the play," Plovert turned his back away from Table 18. "He can act."

"I can't believe Cam would this for us." Alicia smacked her fork down on her plate. "Go out with _Kristen_ just so we wouldn't be the most hated people in the school. He's a good friend-"

"This is all your fault, you know that? _You're_ the one who wanted me to help you tryout, I should have just said no. But _had_ to be nice and now Claire's not-"

"I get it, okay? But we need to stop arguing 'cause right now, we only have each other. It's been four days since Kristen has taken over, and has been 'dating' Cam. The Group's status is pretty much tarnished and we can't all get back together, 'cause A) The Group, except for Cam, hates us. B) The Group is mad at Cam for 'dating' Kristen-They think Cam went behind their backs. And C) Massie is annoyed with Claire because she thinks Claire needs to get over you."

"She still likes me?" Plovert exclaimed.

"I never said that." Alicia snapped. Plovert slumped back down in his chair. "Anyways, and all the while, we all want to claw Kristens' eyes out."

"And your point is?" Plovert asked.

"The Group is too, I guess you can say, 'emotionally unstable' to rule, so Kristen and her clique stepped all over us and became Alpha. While The Group sits back and takes it, now eating at Table _15_."

"Wow, she's a psycho bitch." Plovert shook his head. "And we thought our plan was complex. Kristen's plan was so simple: The picture fiasco, then making Cam go out with her, but it had so many outcomes. She's like...a freaky super villain."

"Well?"Alicia asked.

"Well what?" Plovert replied.

"Don't you have a new plan?"

"No...But can you help me get back with Claire?"

"Do something romantic, ask Cam." Alicia stood up and walked away from the table. Plovert trailed behind her.

"But you're a _girl_, you can tell me what Claire would like." Plovert put his hand on Alicia's shoulder. "Where are you going?" He pleaded.

Alicia turned around. "Why don't you find some other person to help you? All you do is mope about Claire, and you _aren't_ thinking of a plan to get back at Kristen. So you're useless. Done. D2M. It's all about Claire. Claire, Claire, _Kuh-Laire_."

"Do you... _like _me or something?" Plovert asked.

Alicia looked down. "You're a good kisser," she mumbled.

Plovert sneered. "How shallow _are_ you? I am so tired of you, don't talk to me anymore."

"Who else can you talk to? No one right?" Alicia hissed.

"You don't have anyone either!" Plovert sighed and looked around. "We should stop fighting, people are staring." Plovert said, realizing they were standing in the middle of the cafeteria. "And like you said, right now, we only have each other."

"Well, I don't want _you_." Alicia stormed off.

"Why are you acting like this, all of a sudden?" Plovert shouted back at her.

"Did you and your _girlfriend_ breakup?" Someone asked.

Plovert turned around. Seeing Claire smirking, The Group laughing, Kristen and _Cam..._of all people, smiling in the background, left Plovert with no friends, no allies, and no girlfriend. A true _LBR, _as Massie would call it.

* * *

**(AN) This chapter really _sucked_. The next one will be better...I hope.**


	17. No Way Out

**Disclaimer- I do not own the Clique.**

* * *

BOCD Cafe

Table 18

Thursday, May 15th

12:08 PM

She was a legend. A hero to all the people who hate-worshiped Massie. She was Kristen. Not 'Massie's athletic friend', but _Kristen_; The only girl known in BOCD history to completely overthrow Massie, her clique, and become Alpha...for a week and a half.

Even though she had been in power for only a week and half, the school year was almost over. And if she ended the school year as an Alpha, she would begin the next school year as one. However, she would only rule over the Freshmans, 'cause well, have you ever seen a Freshman insult a Senior and get away with it?

Kristen turned her head and saw Claire give back the bouquet of roses Plovert handed her. Kristen couldn't help feeling sorry for him, as he sulked back to empty Table 11, while Alicia sat at Table 9. Plovert was an extrovert, talkative, and even though he could be the meanest person if he tried, he was a people-person; Being so alone must have killed him inside. But then again, Plovert would already have a ton of new friends, if it wasn't for Kristen, who told the whole school not to talk to him..._or else_.

"I can't take this anymore, I'm gonna go talk to Plovert." Cam got up from Table 18.

"You wouldn't want the whole school to see Plovert kissing Alicia, would you? If they see that picture, they wouldn't even talk to Plovert, even if I said they could. The whole school would know the _real _reason why Claire broke up him, if they see that picture. And I thought you were a good friend." Kristen taunted.

Cam sat down and thought for a moment. "I get it now. You only sent the picture to The Group, and forced me to become your boyfriend, without The Group knowing. So when The Group became 'dysfunctional', you took over. And if you got overruled by The Group, you would send the picture to the whole school; Making us look bad, thus turning us into 'LBR's again." Cam rolled his eyes. "Very sneaky...So, what if I break up with you?"

"I'll send the picture to the whole school."

"What if I get someone to tell you that I'm breaking up with you?" Cam asked.

"I'll send the picture to the whole school." Kristen repeated.

"What if I think of a plan, that will make _you _a so-called 'LBR'" Cam air-quoted.

"I'll send the picture to the whole school making _you _and The Group 'LBR's once again," Kristen replied.

"There's no way out of this, is there?" Cam asked.

"Nope. Now laugh." Kristen hissed.

"What?" Cam asked.

"We've been talking for a long time, pretend I said something funny."

"A person looking at us would probably think we've been arguing. Why would I just randomly burst out laughing like some psycho maniac?"

"Just laugh." Kristen kicked him under the table.

Cam fake-laughed as best as he could. "I seriously want to kill you right now." He said through a fake-smile.

"I know. But what can _you _do about it?" Kristen smirked.


	18. Shadow

**Disclaimer- I do not own the clique.**

**(AN) Just to let you know, I'm finishing this story in three or four more chapters.**

* * *

Plovert Estate

Plovert's Bedroom

Tuesday, May 13th

6:17 PM

_Tick, Click, Tock, Click, Tick, Click, Tock, Click _

It had been officially five days since Plovert's inauguration as a lonely LBR, and the only thing he could do was sit around, angry at himself, and click his tongue in time with the clock.

After twenty minutes, Plovert realized that he had to take matters into his own hand. He ran downstairs, and raced out the door, knowing what he needed to do.

"Where are you going?" His mom called out behind him.

"Out." Plovert bluntly replied.

"When will you be back?" She asked.

"When I have some friends," he mumbled and shut the door.

* * *

Plovert stood at the street corner.

_Claire's house, or Alicia's?_

The answer was pretty obvious. Plovert turned right, and sprinted ten blocks to her house.

"Whoa, Alicia" Plovert stepped back, once some opened the door. "I didn't expect to see you."

"I _live_ here." She snapped. "Now hurry up and talk, I have to go eat soon."

"You _eat_? At lunch you only eat like a soy bar, or whatever. I've never seen you eat a meal. So do you like-"

"You're rambling." Alicia cut him off. "What did you really come here for?"

"I wanted to know why you're so mad at me, all of a sudden."

Alicia looked down. "I didn't want to see you get hurt."

"What do you mean?"

Alicia sighed. "I heard that Claire is going out with Josh."

"What?" Plovert exclaimed.

"Claire and Josh started going out a couple days after she broke up with you."

"What?" Plovert repeated.

"You heard me." Alicia hid the smirk that was forming on her face, and closed the door.

Plovert's face turned red, as he raced down the stone steps that led to her Spanish-style mansion, and sprinted another seven blocks to Josh's house. After a three quick knocks, Josh's little sister opened the door.

"Where is he?" Plovert panted, out of breath.

"Josh? I think he's in the basement."

"Thanks." Plovert pushed past her. "What the hell is wrong with you!" Plovert hissed as he walked down the seventeen stairs that led to the basement.

Josh pressed pause on the video game he was playing. "Huh?"

"You're going out with Claire!" Plovert shouted.

"What?" Josh said.

Plovert sighed. "Alicia told me you are going out with Claire."

Josh chuckled. "And you believed her?"

"...Yeah." Plovert answered.

"Here's a little tip: Alicia Rivera is a selfish, conniving, bitch who will only look out for herself when stuff like this happens. She knew you would come over to my house and strangle me, if she told you that I was going out with Claire. And then she would become part of The Group again by apologizing and saying, 'At least I wasn't as bad as Plovert. I didn't try to kill one of my friends and cheat on my girlfriend, like he did.'"

"The picture was fake!" Plovert insisted.

"It looks pretty real to me." Josh replied.

"Do you have the picture on your phone?" Josh nodded. "Let me see it." Plovert grabbed the phone out of his hand and studied the photo.

Plovert frowned. The picture looked genuinely real. But a few moments later, he spotted something and smiled. "It's around 4:30 in the afternoon when this picture was taken, and sunlight is directly hitting the lockers behind us. What _don't _you see?" Plovert smirked.

"I don't know." Josh shrugged.

"Look closer." Plovert urged.

"_I don't know_." Josh answered again.

"We have no shadows!" Plovert shouted. "It's impossible for us to not have a shadow, when the sun is shining right where Alicia and I are standing."

Josh grinned in realization and ran up the stairs. "Come on!" He shouted.

"Where are we going?" Plovert asked, behind him.

"Aren't you gonna tell Claire?" He asked as they both ran out the front door, sprinting to the Block Estate.

* * *

Claire stood stiffly in the doorway of the guest house, as Plovert poured his heart out to her. "Well, _Chris_, even if the picture is fake, why didn't you tell me that you had to kiss Alicia?" She asked.

"To be honest, I don't know. But I'm sorry that I didn't tell you." Plovert said.

"'I don't know' doesn't really cut it, Chris."

"Do you want me to lie then?" Plovert sighed. "I'm being honest with you. I'm really sorry that I kissed Alicia at the tryouts for the play- She didn't get the part, but anyways- I really miss you, and I should've told you that I had to kiss Alicia. Just give me a second chance, please?" Plovert pleaded.

Claire didn't respond.

Plovert looked down. "...Bye." He turned and walked away. Josh stood behind Massie's window giving him a 'what happened?' look.

"You've never been romantic." Claire giggled and walked toward him. Plovert turned around. "And probably never will." Claire leaned in and kissed him.

"Hurry up and come inside!" Massie interrupted. "Josh told me everything, we've got a plan to make." Massie yelled from her bedroom window.

* * *

Block Estate

Massie's Room

Tuesday, May 13th

6:53 PM

"I say, we stand on top one of the cafeteria tables and expose what she did to us." Josh suggested.

"Yeah, and then we'll pull a rope, and thousands of embarrassing pictures of Kristen will fall from the ceiling. Very realistic." Plovert rolled his eyes. "I think we should just show them the real picture of Alicia and I kissing, where everyone was standing around us. Then show them the Photoshopped picture, and explain the fact that we have no shadows."

"But how are we gonna get the original picture?" Claire asked.

"Kristen took the pictures with her phone. Most likely she would have sent them to her e-mail, saved them onto her school computer account, and then used Photoshop on one of the school computers." Plovert explained.

"And how do we get onto her account?" Massie questioned.

"Easy. Everyone's school user-name is like, 'BOCDgregorykristen'. And the password is the person's birthday-"

"Kristen's birthday is on January 2nd." Massie added. "Tomorrow morning, Claire and I will come to school early, and send an 'anonymous' e-mail showing the pictures, and explaining how it was fake."

"So it's a plan?" Josh asked.

"Yeah." Massie smirked. "Done."

"Done." Claire smiled at Plovert.

"I _still _don't understand why someone would repeat 'done' four times." Plovert said.

"You always have to ruin it, don't you?" Massie frowned.

"Yep." Plovert snickered.


	19. The Email

****

Disclaimer- I do not own the clique or any brands mentioned.

* * *

BOCD

Halls

Wednesday, May 14th

7:45 AM

"Students are not allowed in the halls before 8:00." A teacher stopped Massie and Claire. "Where are you going?" She asked.

"Computer lab." Massie showed the woman her forged hall pass.

"For what?"

"A project." Claire quickly replied.

"It's the end of the school year." The woman said.

"An_ extra-credit _project." Massie rolled her eyes, grabbed Claire's hand, and fast-walked to the nearest, empty, computer lab.

Claire watched in silence as Massie logged on to Kristen's account, found the original picture, the Photoshopped picture, and composed an email explaining everything.

"Good enough?" Massie tilted the computer screen towards Claire.

_--Original Message--_

_Sent: (To send) Wednesday, May 14th_

_From: Anonymous _

_To: BOCD Students_

"You made an anonymous e-mail address just for _this_?" Claire asked.

"No. Remember in February when _someone _leaked, via e-mail, that you and Cam broke up for good?" Massie asked.

Claire nodded.

"Yeah, that was me..." She trailed off.

"Massie!" Claire exclaimed.

"'_Massie_!'" Someone mimicked, while Massie and Claire froze.

"Relax, it's just me." Plovert pulled out a chair from a nearby table and sat down.

"Why are you here?" Massie snapped.

"I got lonely."

"The whole school is on the Great Lawn, how can you be lonely?"

"Until you send that e-mail," Plovert tilted his head towards the computer screen. "I'm still an 'LBR'." He air-quoted. "So Cam and the others won't talk to me, it will make it less suspicious."

"How did you get in without hall pass?" Massie asked.

"I forged one. And even if I didn't, what teacher would say 'no' to me? I'm _Plovert_."

"Well, wouldn't someone notice that you went into the school _right after _we did?" Massie snapped. "You're not thinking, _Chris_."

"I'm a 'LBR', so I'm pretty much invisible." Plovert pouted.

"You must be so sad!" Claire reached over and hugged him. Massie sneered at the two of them.

"Why so angry, today?"

"I'm not angry." Massie insisted with a frown. "You two just need to cut the chit-chat, and read this e-mail."

"'Cut the chit-chat'. My teachers say that." Plovert joked. "Now, _why_ do we have to read this?"

"To make sure Massie didn't leave out any details." Claire said, eyes locked on the computer screen.

"But-" Plovert started.

Massie sighed. "Just read."

_Nobody likes fakes. But Kristen Gregory, your so called 'Alpha' is one._

_Below are two pictures. The first one is Plovert and Alicia kissing...for a play. The second one is Photoshopped (hence the fact that Plovert and Alicia have no shadows). _

_Kristen only sent the Photoshopped picture to The Group, then used blackmail and guilt to force Cam to become her boyfriend. And because The Group didn't know, it made Cam, Alicia, and Plovert look bad. So when they became too wrapped up in their own drama, Kristen took over. If she got overruled by The Group in any way, Kristen would send the picture to the whole, entire school. This would then make The Group look bad, thus turning them into 'LBR's again. Blackmail was the _only_ way for Kristen to become popular. Does this seem alpha to you?_

"I expected you to sign off with: _You know you love me._ _Xoxo, Gossip Girl_." Plovert concluded.

"Is it really that much like it?...Wait, I can't believe _you _watch the show." Massie giggled.

"I _skimmed _the first book." Plovert corrected.

"Whatever." Massie smirked, pressed 'send' and logged off the computer.

"How fast is this gonna take? 'Cause you sent it by email, and not by text." Claire said, as the trio stopped in front of BOCD's main doors.

"A lot of people have a Blackberrys or iPhones. There's a good chance someone's checking their email right..._now_." Massie, Claire, and Plovert pushed the main doors open and froze, watching chaos unfold on the Great Lawn.

* * *

BOCD Cafe

Table 18

Wednesday, May 14th

12:23 PM

Table 18 laughed when they saw Strawberry, Kori, Olivia, Allie- Rose, and Carrie pick up their lunch trays, and move to another table when Kristen tried to sit with them.

"Should he?" Alicia asked Cam.

"What?"

"Do you think Plovert should tell the whole school that Kristen doesn't live in the Montador?"

Instead of answering Alicia, Cam turned to Plovert. "You're actually going to tell everyone?"

"Why not?" Plovert grinned. "She did so many bad things to me, I think it's time that I get revenge on her."

"But Alicia did some pretty mean things to you. Aren't you going to get revenge on her also?" Cam asked.

"Most of us would've done something similar to what Alicia did, to get their friends back." Massie joined the conversation.

Plovert nodded. "I _did _think about sabotaging Alicia a couple of days after Kristen made me a loser." Plovert smirked. "And speaking of Kristen-"

"Come on guys," Cam pleaded. "We all dislike Kristen, but exposing her deepest secret to the school is pushing it."

"_Fine_." Plovert slouched down in his chair. "I won't tell the whole school. But if it comes up in a conversation with someone, I'll tell them the truth. How's that?"

Cam sighed. "Fine, 'cause she does deserve _some_ revenge."

"Look." Josh pointed his chin toward Kristen. "She's setting herself up for disaster." He chuckled.

The Group turned to look at Kristen, her head held high, as she walked in the direct path of the former clique she established. Table 18 stifled their laughter as they watched Allie-Rose carry out the oldest trick in the book: She quickly and carefully stuck out one of her legs right before Kristen walked past her. Everyone in the cafeteria stared as Kristen stumbled over Allie-Rose's foot for a moment, but quickly gained her composure, and sprinted to the nearest exit.

Cam laughed with Table 18, along with the rest of the cafeteria. But a small part of his mind knew that he still felt something _odd_ for Kristen Gregory.


	20. Point And Laugh

**Disclaimer- I do not own the clique or any brands mentioned**

* * *

BOCD

Chemistry

Wednesday, May 21

1:33 PM

You always believed you would spend your last days attending BOCD roaming the halls, reminiscing on the memories of your middle school years with the Pretty Committee.

Instead you're stuck in a room where many, well, _everyone _hated you. And even though it had been a full week since you got dethroned, life hadn't gotten any better, but worse. Constantly, you swallow back a scratchy, dry lump in your throat.

You hear: Whispers, off-beat giggles, and the occasional bursts of laughter. You see: Notes flying across the room, a smirk given to you every once in a while, and a teacher who could care less about the public display of hate.

But adjusting to this change, you idly waste time drawing designs on a sheet of paper. Periodically, you look up to see if anything more than note-passing and whispering was going on, and right when you are about to return to your paper, you hear noises-Footsteps, and a voice- Slightly obnoxious, clear, yet raspy- Such a distinct voice that only could be classified as Plovert's.

As the footsteps grew louder you realize Plovert and the others were doing the exact same thing you dreamed of doing on the last days of eighth grade. Sinking back into your chair, you hope they will quickly pass by the open classroom door without spotting you.

"Look at this!" Dylan exclaimed. From the corner of your eye you see her fawning over a locker with Claire, Massie, Cam, Josh, and Plovert surrounding her. "My old locker from sixth grade! Someone open it for me!"

Plovert sighed, bent down and put the lock next to his ear. In three swift hand motions, the locker opened with a creak.

"You're welcome." Plovert walked down the hallway, looking slightly bored, fingers drumming against the gray lockers. While Dylan tossed everything out of the locker, stuck her head in and squealed.

"Emagawd, it's still there! Read this!" Dylan's voice magnified in the locker and echoed throughout the halls.

For a brief moment, you wonder how they didn't get in trouble for cutting class. But then again, most of the teachers were probably doing...nothing, just like your chemistry teacher, who sat at her desk, inspecting her nails.

Dylan pulled her head out the locker. "Read it! It's in red Sharpie, on the left corner.." Dylan tugged on Cam's shirt. He sighed and stuck his face in the locker.

"'Dylan Rules'." He read. "With a '_Z_' ." Cam sighed and jerked his head out from the locker. "That's so rebellious, Dylan." He rolled his eyes and looked down to see the heap of paper and neon-colored binders on the floor. "Aren't you gonna put that girl's stuff back?"

"...Help me?" Dylan sheepishly smiled as Massie, Claire, Cam and Josh huffed and bent down.

You suddenly realize Plovert wasn't anywhere near them. You panic for a moment, but joyfully relax and look down once you hear Plovert's fingers rhythmically beating against the lockers, a seemingly far distance away. But the sound of the class's murmurs quickly turned into silence, and you look up to see emerald-green eyes behind sliver framed glasses.

"Look guys," Plovert leaned against the door frame. "It's _Kristen_." Plovert glanced at your teacher for a moment, who seemed to care less about what was going on. "Should we point and laugh?" Plovert chuckled.

Cam sighed, put the last bright green binder in the locker, and closed it. "Now _that_ was mean." But he smirked, rolled his eyes and slowly walked off.

Knowing Plovert and the others were only waiting for your reaction, you study the dry erase board intently, willing the tears of sadness and anger to stop forming around your eyelids.

Plovert looked at the board. _'Two more days until school's over!' _It read. "Oh Kristen, you better study that, there's gonna be a test on Friday." He laughed and told the others to leave without him. He walked towards your desk. "Payback's a bitch, Isn't it _Kristen_?" He whispered, and walked out the door.

Once he exited the room, you openly let the tears fall, half of them from anger and sadness.

And the other half?

Maybe they're from being lonely.

Maybe they're because you remember that Plovert used to be your best friend.

Or maybe they're tears of appreciation towards that one person who halfway stood up for you.

Cameron Fisher.


	21. Barely Legal

**Disclaimer- I do not own the clique, any brands mentioned, or the song Barely Legal by the Strokes.**

**(A/N) Last Chapter, and it's my longest one. Anyways, thanks to all my reviewers, especially: Emeraldeyes101, Kaylaf96, Cela Fille, maplexsyrup, RhiniHeartBreaker, lolgirl, lipglossgirlsavestheday, LovePeaceHappiness, and towards the end, SeeminglyAngelic.**

* * *

BOCD

AP Language Arts

Friday, May 23rd

2:12 PM

Who would've believed Plovert was actually _smart_?

But there he was, sitting near the front of the class with Cam, deeply engrossed in a some large, paper-back book.

Being in the same class with both Cam and Plovert wasn't much of a problem. Kristen sat in the back of the class, while Plovert and Cam sat in the front; Making Kristen able to watch their every move. And as long as the class was told to read the whole class period, just like they did for the past week, she was safe from any-

"Today we are going to play Scrabble." The teacher announced.

Kristen let go a sigh of relief. Even though she had to be paired up with a person who probably hated her, it wasn't exactly her fault, her teacher always picked the partners-

"And since today is the last day of school, I'll let you pick your own partners."

Kristen watched in silence at her seat, as pairs of people walked past her and picked up a Scrabble board.

Slowly, she stood up, and walked towards a pair of friendly-looking girls. Kristen stood by their table waiting for acknowledgment, but they just talked and laughed pretending she wasn't there.

So, Kristen quickly walked away from the table, and noticed the large stack of graded papers on top of the teacher's gray file cabinet.

"Can I f-file p-apers for you?" Kristen managed to stutter out.

The teacher snapped her head up and look towards the file cabinet. "Will you do that for me? Give papers without a name to me. Thanks."

Kristen nodded and smiled. "You're welcome." She walked over to the file cabinet, and grabbed the stack of papers. For thirty minutes without interruption, Kristen rhythmically opened an individual cabinet, stuck a paper in, then gently closed it. And all the while she strained to listen to the conversation between Cam and Plovert, seated around six feet to the left of her.

"We're all riding the bus today. Bus 270. That's the one that stops by Massie's house, she's throwing an end of school party. You in?" Plovert asked Cam while studying the Scrabble board and his letters intently.

Kristen gulped. Her mom couldn't pick her up from school. It was Friday, her mom would be out shopping. The only way she could get home was to ride to bus, and the bus that stopped by the Montador was bus 270. She could always walk home, but that would take to long.

"Sure. Why?" Cam questioned.

"_The Pretty Committee_," Plovert snickered. "minus Claire, has never ridden the school bus before, except when they go on field trips. So they decided to ride the bus today, and of course the rest of the school does too." Plovert placed five of his Scrabble letters on the board. "'Gooses'. Seven points."

"Dude, gooses isn't a word, it's _geese_."

"Gooses _is _a word." Plovert insisted.

"It's _not_." Cam challenged.

"Fine. Look it up." Plovert handed him the heavy, leather- bound dictionary.

Cam quickly shifted through the pages, paused for a moment and frowned. "You win."

Plovert leaned back in victory.

"It's only seven points anyway." Cam shrugged.

"Well seven points is a lot, considering your last word was 'sat'."

"Shut up." Cam hissed.

"What? The only person who has the _nerve _to eavesdrop on our conversation is Kristen- Don't act like I don't see you." Plovert looked up towards Kristen, and she immediately looked down, acting like she was immersed in an individual file she was looking for.

"And then she tries to cover it up." Plovert said to Cam and shook his head. "You think I'm stupid, don't you Kristen? And-"

Cam punched Plovert. "_Hush_." He instructed. "I think she gets it."

--

_2:57 PM_

"I'll let you guys out early. I want to get out of this school as much as you do." The teacher said.

"Three minutes early doesn't really make any difference." Plovert mumbled and walked out the door, along with the rest of the class.

Kristen quickly placed the last paper of the once giant stack of paper into a file.

The teacher quickly looked up, "You finished filing all those papers?"

"Yep." Kristen picked up her purse and walked towards to door.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Kristen grinned and raced out the door.

"Have a good summer!" The teacher shouted from the classroom.

Kristen frowned, what would she be able to do this summer without any friends? But her focus of attention changed when she noticed the hallways were empty, besides the small group of people that were in her class twenty feet ahead of her.

"Where is everyone?" Some boy asked.

A girl looked around. "I think they all _died_."

"Quit being so melodramatic." Plovert said. "Obviously they were abducted by aliens, and were the only ones left." He rolled his eyes.

"Or maybe they got let out early." Cam said.

"Every single class?" Another girl responded.

"Let's just check outside. I think most of us are riding the bus home today, right?" Plovert asked.

The others nodded, and they started for the bus loading area, Kristen a few paces behind them. Plovert and Cam took charge, and in one swift motion they opened the double doors that led to the bus area. But right when they stepped outside, the ten BOCD buses drove out of the parking lot.

The class shouted and ran toward the buses, begging them to stop, they _didn't_, and eventually the class settled down when the last bus left the parking lot.

Kristen walked towards the edge of the road, and paused for a moment, watching Plovert run towards Principal Burns.

"Can't you tell them to come back?" Plovert yelled.

"No. You should have been out here by 2:55." Principal Burns replied.

"But our teacher-" Plovert was cut off by a noise of the cell phone in Principal Burn's hand.

"I don't have time for this. Either call your parents, or driver to pick you up, or walk home."

Plovert looked up at the blue sky, and then at the dark clouds forming to the west. "They're is no way I'm walking home in this heat."

"That's your problem." Principal Burns squawked and paced towards to school.

"Go to Hell, bird woman!" Plovert shouted at her.

She stopped. "What did you say?" She boomed.

"You want me to say it again? Go to-"

Cam pulled at Plovert's shirt. "You're gonna get in trouble."

Plovert checked the time on his phone. "It's 3:01. According to the time, she doesn't control me, I don't go to this school anymore. And in the words of Alicia Rivera...I am _so _suing this fuc-"

"You're acting like a psycho- manic." Cam dragged him near where Kristen stood, but she immediately started walking.

"Can't your driver pick us up?"

"No, he's get weekends off." Plovert said. "My mom thinks having a driver, who works for you all the time is like modern-day slavery."

Which was the last thing Kristen heard from Plovert and Cam before she started running, remembering that she had to somehow get home before her mom did, or else she would have to explain why all her 'friends' didn't drop her off.

She ran in silence, only the sound of her navy blue flip-flops smacking against the sidewalk pavement accompanying her. Swiftly, she passed any small groups of people, without looking or saying a word to them. Until she spotted a group of girls, one of them with dark pink hair, walking into a neighborhood of upper-middle class houses.

"Strawberry!" She shouted and ran over to them. It was summer, they were no longer under the Groups power, so maybe they could still be friends, right?

"Oh, hey, Kristen." Strawberry dully replied.

Kristen noticed Allie-Rose, Kori, and Olivia in the background. "How come you guys didn't ride the bus?"

"Everyone rode the bus today, so most likely it's really crowded on the buses. Also, we don't have to ride the bus just because every one else is."

"I know. Followers much?" Kristen scoffed.

"Look who's talking." Strawberry smirked. "So...why are _you_ here?"

It finally dawned on Kristen that even though Strawberry, Kori, and the others weren't under The Group's control, they still didn't like her. "Oh, um, I was just looking for a shortcut in here, to get to my house quicker."

"Well, there aren't any shortcuts." Kori snapped.

Kristen cheeks became red. "Oh, well, bye." She turned and sprinted out of the neighborhood. Slowing down, she decided to rest when she reached the sidewalk. As she wiped her sweat-slicked face, she heard a rumble in the distance, and looked up to she dark clouds quickly covering the once clear sky.

Kristen sighed, "_Just great_." She thought and slowly started walking, fully knowing that she wouldn't make it to her house dry, or before her mom came home.

Looking behind her, she saw a white Mercedes slowly moving down the street, until it halted on the other side of the road. The driver's seat window rolled down.

"Hi Kristen! Do you need a ride? Your mom knows me, so I think you'll be fine." Cam's mom said.

Kristen paused for a moment. Remembering that even though she knew the person, or people in the car, her mom always told her to say no if someone asked. But this was different, her mom was friends with Cam's mom, claiming that the Fisher family was one of the most "modest" people in Westchester. And they were, although it was evident that they were richer than they looked. How would they be able to pay for that expensive Mercedes, or for all that Drakkar Noir Cam slathers on his neck? Though needless to say, Cam smelt _very_ good...

Kristen shook the thought out of her head.

Kristen thought about declining her offer, how would she be able to explain why she didn't come over to Cam's house to play soccer anymore? It would've been easier if Harris were driving. And what about Plovert-

A loud rumble of thunder interrupted her thoughts. "Um...Sure." Kristen finally replied, waited for a car to pass, and then crossed the otherwise empty street. "Thanks," she said, looking down as she sat on the cool, tan leather seats. She closed her eyes for a moment, her head resting on the glass window, hearing the beats of some song playing on Cam's iPod. Maybe Plovert wasn't in the car after all. Maybe he just-

_Click._

The sound that _someone's_ tongue made when they were extremely angry.

Kristen slowly turned her head to see Plovert, looking straight forward, a gentle smile on his face.

Maybe having Cam's mom in the car was a good thing, cause she would have the decency to pry Plovert off, when he tried to strangle her.

--

"_**I didn't take no shortcuts. I spent the money that I saved up. Oh, Momma running out of luck-"**_

Cam pressed pause on his iPod. Sitting in the passenger's seat, through the mirror, he watched carefully studied Kristen. Her body was rigid, arms stiffly at her sides, her palms heavily pressed down onto the leather seat. Periodically her eyes shifted towards Plovert's direction, then quickly shifted back. Meanwhile Plovert had this unique look on his face of hatred and content. He kind of looked like one of those evil smiley faces that people drew.. The ones where at first they seem so happy, but then someone draws in those diagonal eyebrows, and it turns all evil-looking. Cam felt sorry for Kristen for a moment, but then chuckled, thinking about what Plovert was going to eventually say to her.

Cam frowned. _"Mixed feelings." _He thought to himself, and pressed play on his iPod.

"_**Then she said, "Oh, you're a freak. They ordered me to make mistakes."**_

Cam grit his teeth, remembering what Kristen had said to his a few weeks back during that IM conversation.

--

Kristen wiped off the beads of sweat that formed on her forehead, though the air conditioning was on. Noticing that Cam was looking at her, through the mirror, she didn't want to him to see her with sweat dripping down her face. Her thoughts where suddenly weighed down with the fact that there was a chance they both may like each other

"_Impossible." _Kristen thought to herself. Besides Plovert and Alicia, wasn't Cam the person she used to most? And besides Plovert and Alicia, wasn't Cam the person who hated her the most? But still-

"Why don't you call your mom, to tell her your getting a ride home." Cam's mom said as she stopped at a red light.

"'Kay." Kristen managed to chirp. She pulled out her phone, called her mom, knowing that she wasn't going to answer her phone. "Hey mom." She left a voicemail. "Um, I missed the bus, 'cause the teacher didn't let us out at the right time. Cam's mom is dropping me off. So...yeah. Bye." Kristen snapped her phone and shoved it back into one of the pockets on her shorts.

Cam's mom chuckled. "So how did you guys miss the bus again?"

"Our teacher was all like: 'I'll let you guys early.'" Cam mimicked. "But actually we weren't early, 'cause by the time we got outside all the buses were leaving."

"We were supposed to load the buses by 2:55." Plovert added.

"I see." Cam's mom nodded her head and at Kristen. "Seatbelt, please." She said to her.

"Oh, sorry." Kristen hastily fumbled with her seatbelt.

"_Gosh, _Kristen. Didn't your mom ever teach you correct car safety?" Plovert insulted, only loud enough for Kristen and Cam to hear.

And at that moment, Kristen knew that verbal attack was just the beginning.

--

"_**Oh, you ain't never had nothing I wanted. But...I want it all, I just can't figure out...Nothing."**_

Cam sighed, pressed pause, turned, and looked at Plovert. He didn't know if he should grin at Kristen's expense, or feel bad for her. Either way, he knew this car ride would be far from boring.

"So remind me, where do you live again?" Cam's mom asked Kristen, when she stooped at a four way intersection, and put on the windshield-wiper. Heavy drops of rain pelted the car.

"The Montador-" Kristen started.

"Wait, I thought you lived the Pinewood?" Plovert said with fake innocence.

Cam's mom raised her eyebrows, while Cam sighed for the second time in less than two minutes. "Well?"

Kristen's throat tightened. "The Pinewood. I say the Montador 'cause more people know where it is."

Cam's mom nodded.

"Or you're just a poor liar." Plovert mumbled.

"What was that?" Cam's mom asked.

"Oh, just that I knew Kristen's family would never live in such a... _snobby _place...hey just couldn't afford it..." Plovert trailed off.

"Do you want me to just drop you off at Massie's house?" Cam's mom glanced at the unmoving red light. "Cam said she's having a party."

"Kristen's not invited." Plovert chided.

"She has to, uh, go to a soccer day camp tomorrow, so her mom isn't letting her go anywhere. I wouldn't say she wasn't invited," Cam looked at Plovert. "she just isn't allowed to go."

Plovert gently kicked the passenger seat, where Cam sat.

Kristen slowly locked eyes with Cam, thanking him.

And what did she get back?

Something that told her she might not be so lonely this summer:

_A smile._

--

Pressing play, Cam contentedly sat back in his chair.

"_**Together again, like the beginning. It all works somehow in the end. The things we did, the things you hide. For the record, it's between you and I."**_

* * *

Block Estate

Living Room

Friday, May 23rd

6:47 PM

Massie raised her glass for a toast. "To the end of eight grade."

"To the end of eight grade." The Group chorused.

"And to the start of high school, where we will be _nothing_." Derrick added.

"Such a downer." Claire shook her head. "You have to learn to live in the moment." Claire shifted in Plovert's lap.

"I wanted to go swimming." Kemp pouted and looked at the heavy rain, falling outside the window.

Massie ignored him and looked around. "Wait, where's Cam?" She asked.

"_Gone. _He has a girlfriend." Plovert frowned.

"Oh, what's her name?" Alicia leaned forward.

"Why, I believe she goes by the name of _Kristen_." Plovert said in an English accent.

* * *

**(A/N) So there. I left you with a semi-happy ending...for Kristen. Deal. Epilogue? Maybe. Sequel? Probably not.**


End file.
